To Have Patience is to Suffer?

If you are truly present, then you'll be experiencing the bliss of the moment.

The next time someone tells you to have “patience” and you want to smack ‘em – go ahead. Why?

Well, if you look it up in a dictionary, you’ll discover that the word “patience” comes from a Latin word, “patientia,” which means, “to suffer.” Perhaps this is why having “patience” is so hard and difficult.

So, what’s the way out of all this suffering? The way out of any “patience” or “suffering” dilemma is to just to be “present.” As my friend Robert Jameson, author of “The Keys to Joy-Filled Living,” often reminds me: “Don’t ask me to be patient, ask me to be present.”

If you are truly present, then you’ll be experiencing the bliss of the moment. There isn’t anywhere to go, but to be present in that very moment. There’s nothing to wait for. It’s in this moment that you can take action steps toward any goal, and, if you’re present in this moment, each action step can be filled with joy and peace.

Basically, you don’t have to delay any feeling of future gratification, because you are enjoying the process of moving through time toward your goal. You don’t have to wait for your birthday, your graduation, or anything else you may be waiting for to be happy and free. There is so much magic in this very moment. Each breath you take reconnects you to what the real meaning of life is. Accomplishing any goal is nice and important; however, as strange as it may seem, getting the end result is not the experience you are looking for. The bliss of each moment is what you are really looking for, and “patience” is not part of the process. Suffering is not required. Being present is the key.

You don’t need to teach yourself, others or your children to be patient. Teaching to be “present in the moment” is the lesson, which also happens to be one of the keys to having a joy-filled life.

How can we discover the “present moment?” There are many ways, and yet, the simplest answer is to simply contact and connect with your five senses. Ask yourself, “What am I hearing? What smells can I pick up?” Describe in detail what you’re seeing. Notice what you’re tasting? What are you feeling? Is the air cool as you inhale and warm as you are exhaling? Touch your heart with your hand and feel your heart beat. When we focus on the small details, the present moment shows up. The magic of the world begins to reveal itself. Joy and peace are present. You are present. It’s truly all here now.